Turning plants into biological factories
Genetic manipulation has come a long way.
Genetic manipulation has come a long way.
Biotechnology
Jan 6, 2023
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26
With its powerful digging shovels, the European mole can burrow through the soil with ease. The same applies to the Australian marsupial mole. Although the two animal species live far apart, they have developed similar organs ...
Evolution
Jan 5, 2023
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105
Researchers at North Carolina State University show that an important gene in maize called HPC1 modulates certain chemical processes that contribute to flowering time, and has its origins in "teosinte mexicana," a precursor ...
Evolution
Jun 30, 2022
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203
With the extinction of large, non-flying dinosaurs 66 million years ago, large herbivores were missing on Earth for the subsequent 25 million years. Since plants and herbivorous animals influence each other, the question ...
Evolution
May 2, 2022
2
274
Plants are DNA hoarders. Adhering to the maxim of never throwing anything out that might be useful later, they often duplicate their entire genome and hang on to the added genetic baggage. All those extra genes are then free ...
Evolution
Jul 19, 2021
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127
Plants evolve specialized defense chemicals through the combined effects of genes, geography, demography and environmental conditions, a study published today in eLife reports.
Evolution
Jun 15, 2021
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18
Environmental change is happening so quickly that wild organisms can't keep up, and face substantial challenges. But some organisms may be able to adapt surprisingly rapidly to new circumstances. Predicting which species ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 4, 2021
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14
They won't devour insects with leafy jaws, but with help from carnivorous plant genes, tomatoes, tobacco and other crops could one day better defend themselves from pathogenic fungi and insects. An international team of researchers ...
Biotechnology
Apr 22, 2021
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9
Smells, scents and stenches are a common feature in the messy world of sex. In animals, aromas such as pheromones are often used to attract and charm potential mates. But some male butterflies use sex smells for another purpose ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 28, 2021
0
13
A team of researchers at the University of Freiburg, has found that at least one kind of plant has leaves that grow slippery as it ages in an apparent attempt to ward off leaf-eating insects. In their paper published in the ...